Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-03-03
URSNOLOGr FOR M4KCR.

The phases Of the Moon for March are;
First quarter, "a. s,O7 p. m; full Moon, 9th,
1888 p. m. Last qunrter, 10th, s.S2 a. m;
new Moon, Gath, 1l.O9 a. m.
The first magnitude star Aldebaran gets
in the way of ths Moon twice during the
month. At 1l.95 on the morning Of the ID,
the growing Moon, then about an hour high
in the east, will pass very close to the south
OF the star, an approach that may be OBJ
served through u small telescope. AT 7.44
o. m, OF the 29th the Moon will occult Aide
baran; the oceultation LASTING % minutes
and being readily observable, weather per-
hitting, without optical aid. There will be
lrur more occultations Of and near APP
gproaehes r. this Star during the year,
The only other March occult1aon worthy
Of note % that of Gamma Virgins, az !, AS
on the evening OF the 10th. This is q hne
dnuAle star, the eomponenis Of which are
OF the third magnitude and very nearly
equal In brightness. They are classed By
Webb as, respectively, silvery white and
pale yellow in color and, being now or
seconds apart, may be separated by any
thing deserving the name OF telescope. In
| 1885 they were so close together as to be
| inseparable by any Of the telescopes then in
use, but they have been widening steadily
ever since. They are evidently, like that
| grand double star Castor, of the Twins, and
| many others, two suns, each probably with
| its train Of attendant planets, revolving
| around each other in a period believed to
| be something under 200 years. The occul-
/ tation of this double will last 81 minutes
and the immersion and EMERSON will DO
| very interesting TO observe.
The Moon will be in conjunction With the
several planets during March as follows,
the distances giyea being the planets placs
north Or south Of the Moon at conjunction
With Saturn, 9th, sos u. M, $40 north
Uranus, 18th. 05l a. m.i 81 south; Jupiter
1871, 3.i5 p. M, 81 south; Mercury, 23d
1856 p. m, 90 north; Mare, oath, ll.5O p. m.
$40 north; Venus, Goth, TIA p. M, a4E
north; Neptune, 2Sth, $40 p. m. 9ao north
On the 10Th the Sun enters the sign Ariet
and spring begins. The procession OF thu
eqainoxes has brought the sign Aries int
the constellation Pisces, making the con
stellation Aries now the second in thu
zodiac, into which the Sun entsrs In thu
closing days ofApril. Some 1900 years ag
the sign and constellation correspondent
but the consultations have since gainet
some 3z9, more than a whole sign, on tn
ecliptie.
Mercury is in Pisces and will describe hi
short orbit of the month within few de
grees In that constellation. On tire morn
ing Of the 9Th he will reach his creates
, eastern elongation, 1872 lam, and may b
visible In the early evenings shortly befor
and after, though his low southern decline
B ton Is unfavorlble, He passes inferio
conjunction on the 21st and becomes
7 morning planet. 1t may interest som
b readers to look for him on the evening {
a the list, when, ii visible, he Will be foun
about A. almost directly west OF the COZ
3 spinuous evening planet Venus.
. Venus, starting IN Pisces, moves eastwar
= through the zodiac, very nearly in the Sun
4. track Into the centre OF the constellatio
re- Aries during March The diameter of he
disc grows slowly from II to - seconds
" the meantime.
is Mare Is also in Pisces and moves froI
near the western towards the easter
90 border 81 that constellation during Ii
lie month His diameter remains sensibly sti
N tlonary at about 4 seconds.
- Jupiter rises now about 9,45 p. m
"a being consequently very we'll placed Il
W observation. eisnear the left foot oftheco
stellation Virgo and his diameter increas
10 from 80 to II seconds during the mont
k He will reach opposition on April 2lst, shi
. ing then oil night long.
10 Saturn rises on the let about 1870 p.
~ ! and remains almost stationary In Gemt
~ during tine MONTH His diameter is We
~ slowly decreasing as he recedes from us.
a Uranus ls In the right arm OF Virgo al
ks excellently placed for observation, reachi
opposition on the Stst. It is quite probGl
d. that he may be visible TO the naked .
~ about mid"'"bt ~ vsFv ales- ar ana
~ a % liz .aJQa provided .
" observer knows exactly wbe' e 10
80 to- hlrl he 9gc4 4 2rl -- -
II poiut Of d line drawn from Alpha to
. Virgins being rather nearer the latter Il
ids almost due south of Delta Virgins.
me Neptune promises nothing OF interest d,
ing March.